My garden peaks in July. It's when the daylilies and the catmints and the knockout roses bloom all at once, basking the beds in orange, purple and hot pink. The vegetables, which only recently have sprouted from seed to plant, are beginning their journey from plant to plate. Enjoy the harvest, the celebration of our independence and the colors of your garden this month -- and try to enjoy these...

Content Preview This content is exclusive for Newsday digital access and home delivery subscribers and Optimum Online customers.

My garden peaks in July. It's when the daylilies and the catmints and the knockout roses bloom all at once, basking the beds in orange, purple and hot pink. The vegetables, which only recently have sprouted from seed to plant, are beginning their journey from plant to plate. Enjoy the harvest, the celebration of our independence and the colors of your garden this month -- and try to enjoy these chores, too.

1. If you're going out of town, arrange for someone to water; just a couple of hot, dry days can kill your plants, especially those in pots.

2. Keep mower blades sharpened and set blades to three inches for optimum grass health.

3. Pinch spent snapdragons, and cut back and fertilize phlox and delphinium, and they'll bloom again.

4. Happy Fourth of July. It's time to fertilize the lawn!

5. Water and turn the compost pile at least once a week.

6. To keep algae under control in ponds, add a bunch of eelgrass per each square foot of surface water.

7. To grow a giant pumpkin, remove all flowers but one, and fertilize every week.